Material dispensing container



Jan. 4, 1966 E, c Al 3,227,322

MATERIAL DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed April 6, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 &

Al N ROBERT E fi l AGENT Jan. 4, 1966 R. E. CRAIN MATERIAL DISPENS ING CONTAINER Filed April 6, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ROBERT 2252512 AGENT United States Patent MATERIAL DISPENSING coNTArNEn Robert E. clan, 1524 W. 29th, Oklahoma City, Okla. Filed Apr. 6, 1964, ser. N0. 357,465 6 Claims. (Cl. 222 1s3 material. Therefore the construction of these prior art devices adds to the initial cost of the container.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the instant invention to form a container having a material engaging member, formed as a part or" the. container wall, which 'is urged toward a material dispensing position by a con nected resilient member.

Another important object is toprovide a means for dispensing or positioning all of the material within a container toward an outlet opening;

Some fluids, such as milk, are presently packaged in a plastic bag-like container within a cardboard carton wherein the milk is dispensed from a spout projecting outwardly from the carton. Since the spout is normally positioned slightly above the supporting side or surface of the carton the fluid, positioned below the plane of the lowermost edge of the spout, is not easily removed from its containing bag.

It is, therefore, another object of the invention to provide a container havinga hinged flap forming a part of the container which is automatically elevated to incline a fluid containing bag so that the fluid therein is positioned toward an outlet spout in response to a decrease in the volume of fluid within the bag.

A similarly important object is to provide a fluid containing and dispensing disposable container capable of storage, transportation and dispensing of fluid in relatively small quantities, for example 2-gallon to S-gallon containers.

A further object is to provide a lightweight container which is easily assembled .and activated for automatically dispensing its contents as the latter is progressively withdrawn from a dispensing position.

The present invention accomplishes these and other objects by providing a generally rectangular container having a flap means for releasing or dispensing contained material through an opening in the container as the material is progressively removed manually.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying two sheets of drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the container in material dispensing position;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the opposite side and end of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a face view of a blank forming the con.- tainer;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken sub stantially along the line 4-4 of FIG, 1;

FIGURE 5 is a perspectiveview of an alternate antiele lifting insert for thecontainer shown in FIG. 1;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective View of an alternate em, bodiment of the container with a portion thereof broken away for clarity;

3,227,322 Patented Jan. 4, 1966 FIGURE 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 77 of FIG. 6 and reduced;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of an alternate dispensing container;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the container shown in FIG. 8 with the closure flap in partially open position; and

FIGURE 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 1010 of FIG. 9 illustrating the container in fully opened article dispensing position.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral 10 indicates the device, as a whole, which isrectangular ingeneral configuration. The container 10 is formed from a single blank of cardboard or other material, as shown in FIG. 3, comprising four wall panels 12, 14, 16 and 18, having closure flaps 22 at the ends thereof (eight in all). The side walls '12 and 14 are joined by the bottom wall 16. "The top wall 18 is joined to one side of the sidewall 14. The respective limits of the side, bottom andtop' walls are indicated by the score lines 20 along which the respective walls and poseswhich will presently be described.

A resilient member, such as a rubber band 25, has one looped end portion positioned around the apex portion of the triangle shaped flap 30"within opposing band receiving grooves 26.

'The endclosu're flap 22, connected with the end of the bottom 16 adjacent the bend lines 32, is scored to be pulled out toform an outlet or opening 34. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, one-end portion of the end closure flap 22, connected tothe container wall 12 andnormally overlapping the container bottom closure flap, having the aperture 34, is cutaway as at 35. A liquid containing conventional heat sealed plastic bag 40 (FIG. 4), having a dispensing spout 42, is positioned Within the container 10 before closing the latter with the spout 42 positioned inwardly of the opening 34. After placing the fluid filled bag 40 within the containerand before sealing the la ter the band 25 is extended at its other looped end porti n to the upper rearwardend portion of the container, as viewed in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, and is disposed, in a looping over manner within downwardly diverging grooves or slots lti formed in the upwardly disposed edge portions of the end closure side wall flaps 22 at that end of the container opposite the opening 34. Fluid Within the bag 40 is dispensed by manually pulling the neck 42 outwardly through the opening 34' to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. A conventional dispensing spout, indicated by thedotted lines 50, is inserted intoithe neek 42. As the fluid is removed from the bag through the spout 50 the resilient member 25 lifts the triangular shaped flap 3@ by bending along the scored lines 32 which positions the fl w i t bag t w t e mask 42 a the m i l i pr e iv y wi hd a n- During transit and storage the flap 30 is maintained i in t e a s f t e bs sm .1 by e P es e th material therein and is prevented from extending outwardl'y of the plane of. the bottom 16 by a strip of adhesive-backed tape 52 which is glued to the outer surface of the bottom 16 transversely of the flap 30. A section of paper or fabric 54 is interposed between the adhesive-backed tape 52 and the overlapped portion of the flap 30. This permits the flap 30 to be lifted out of the plane of the bottom 16 by the member 25 as the fluid is withdrawn from the bag 40.

FIGURE illustrates an alternate material lifting insert or false bottom for the container wherein a rectangular sheet of cardboard-like material, indicated by the numeral 60 and having overall dimensions substantially equal to the area defined by the container bottom 16, is flatly positioned on the inner surface of the bottom 16. One end of the insert is similarly connected to the band 25. The other end of the insert 60 includes an integral upstanding end portion 62 provided with an opening 64 coaxial with respect to the end closure flap opening 34, so that when the insert 60 is positioned on the inwardly disposed surface of the bottom 16, the plastic bag neck 42 is surrounded by the opening 64 thus maintaining the end portion 62 of the insert 60 adjacent the bottom 16 of the container when the opposite end portion of the insert 60 is raised or lifted by the member 25.

An alternate embodiment of the container is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 and indicated by the numeral 70. The device 70 is similarly composed of side walls 72 and 73 joined with top and bottom walls 74 and 75 which are held in assembled relation by end closure flaps 76 and 77, respectively. Opposing ones of the end closing flaps 76 and 77 form vertically positioned slots 78 and 79, as seen in FIG. 6, for the purposes which will presently be explained.

At least one of the side walls 72 is provided with a plurality of spaced-apart openings or apertures 80 which are preferably positioned adjacent the respective end portions of cans 82, or the like, within the container 70 for price marking the cans and visual inspection of the quantity of cans within the container. Adjacent their depending ends, as seen in FIG. 6, the end flaps 76 are transversely diecut, indicated by the dotted line 84-, so that this end portion of the container 70 may be manually pulled out to its dotted line position for dispensing the cans 82. The container 70 is similarly provided with a lift flap 86 having a resilient band 88 connected thereto and extended upwardly through the slot 79 and connected to the container top 74 within a diecut section 90. The cans 82 are held in spaced relation during shipment and storage by a pair of spaced-apart U-shaped dividers 92 and 94 which extend into the container 70 through suitable apertures formed in the end flaps 76. A third E-shaped divider or partition member 96 is similarly inserted through the box top 74 between the U-shaped members 92 and 94 thus providing a plurality of vertical and horizontal partitions, as viewed in FIG. 6, for separating the packaged cans 82. The members 92, 94 and 96, are manually pulled out of the box 70 before placing the container in dispening position.

As shown in FIG. 7, as the packaged articles or cans 82 are progressively removed from the box, the flap 86 is progressively raised by the band 88 to successively position the remaining cans 82 in dispensing position.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, another embodiment of the device is indicated generally by the numeral 100 which comprises a substantially rectangular container having a front 102 and back 104 joined by side walls 106 and 108. An end closing member or flap 110, integrally connected with the back wall 104, extends forwardly across the top of the container, as viewed in FIG. 8, and is turned downwardly, as at 112, in overlapping relation forwardly of the front wall 102. The overlapping section 112 is defined by converging edge surfaces 114 which form a pull-out flap 116. The pull-out flap 116 is doubled back upon itself to overlie the outer surface of the section 112. Opposing arenate recesses 118 define the juncture of the pull-out flap 16 with the section 112 for the purposes presently explained.

Spaced-apart downwardly converging slits or cuts 120, as viewed in FIG. 9, are formed in the upper edge portion of the front 102. The spacing between the lowermost limit of the cuts 120 is substantially equal to the width of the pull-out 116 between the recesses 118. A rubber band 122, or the like, has one looped end portion received by the cuts 120 and extended transversely therebetween. The other looped end portion of the rubber band 122 is similarly connected with the back wall 104 through a suitable slot or opening formed therein, not shown. The material, indicated by the dotted lines 124, is forced into the container against the band 122 thus placing the latter under tension. The flap is pivoted to closed position with the rubber band 122 positioned within the respective recess 118 and extending transversely across the pull-out flap 116. The box 100 is opened by manually pulling the pull-out fiap 116 forwardly, in the direction shown by the curved line 126, so that the rubber band is released from contact with the surfaces forming the recesses 118. This permits the rubber band 122 to raise the contents 124 to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 10.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein, further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A material containing and dispensing container, comprising: a rectangular housing having side, top and bottom walls; closure flaps covering the ends of said housing; a pull-out flap on one said closure flap for releasing the latter toward housing end open position; and flexible means within said housing and normally urging the material therein toward the pull-out flap equipped closure end of said housing, said flexible means comprising a flap portion hingedly connected with and normally forming a part of a bottom wall of said housing, and a resilient member connected with said flap and a top wall of said carton tending to lift said flap.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1 in which said flap is substantially triangular shaped and having its base portion integrally connected with said bottom wall adjacent that end portion of said bottom wall adjacent the open position of said housing and forming a hinge for vertical movement of the apex end portion of said flap.

3. Structure as specified in claim 2 and a plurality of dividers removably received through at least two walls of said housing and forming, in combination with the housing, a plurality of material containing spaces.

4. A material containing and dispensing container, comprising: a rectangular housing having side, top and bottom walls; closure flaps closing the ends of said housing; means on one said closure flap forming a material outlet; a material lifting flap forming a part of said bottom wall; and flexible means connected with said material lifting flap and said housing and normally urging the material therein toward the material outlet end of said housing.

5. A container for liquids, comprising: a paper board carton having a fluid filled flexible plastic bag therein, said bag having an outlet spout; a removable section formed in the lower part of an end wall of the carton of a size permitting said spout to project outwardly therethrough; a triangular shaped flap cut out of a bottom wall of said carton with the base portion of said triangular shaped flap forming a hinged connection with said bottom wall, the apex portion of said triangular shaped fiap positioned toward that end of said carton opposite the removable section in said end wall; and a resilient member extending between and connected with the apex portion of said triangular shaped flap and a top Wall of said carton and tending to lift the apex end portion of said flap in response to a decrease in the volume of fluid Within said bag.

6. A material containing and dispensing container, comprising: a rectangular housing having side, top, bottom and end Walls; a pull-out flap doubled back upon itself and positioned on an outer wall surface of said housing for releasing the latter to a material outlet position; and a resilient member connected with opposing walls of said housing, said resilient member normally overlying said pull-out flap and maintaining said housing in closed position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Greavu 221-279 Kellett 221-260 Eisenberger -2 222-3 86 X Baxter 222183 X Scholle 222183 

4. A MATERIAL CONTAINING AND DISPENSING CONTAINER, COMPRISING: A RECTANGULAR HOUSING HAVING SIDE, TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS; CLOSURE FLAPS CLOSING THE ENDS OF SAID HOUSING; MEANS ON ONE SAID CLOSURE FLAP FORMING A MATERIAL OUTLET; A MATERIAL LIFTING FLAP FORMING A PART OF SAID BOTTOM WALL; AND FLEXIBLE MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID MATERIAL LIFTING FLAP AND SAID HOUSING AND NORMALLY URGING THE MATERIAL THEREIN TOWARD THE MATERIAL OUTLET END OF SAID HOUSING. 